Marks & Spencer at Central: any food?

[NanLaew]

I popped in past a few weekends ago and it looks like a quite small affair and only a clothing outlet. I saw a comment on a news article from an online UK tabloid about M&S's food that their food is available in Pattaya but expensive. Did I miss a separate M&S food hall at Central or was someone blagging?

[KittenKong]

I saw the food section (hard to describe it as a hall) in one corner of the M&S shop when I went. It was not open then but I think that by now it should be.

As far as I know it's for goods with a long shelf-life only.

[NanLaew]

^ Thanks for that KK. It must be off to the left coming in as I wandered all the way right into menswear and didn't see anything edible.

I assume that you mean biscuits, cookies and the like and not their rather quite good Chicken Tikka Masala. Mrs NL will be very disappointed and will be stocking up when she hits Scotland for Christmas!

[ignis]

One in Bangkok I used to visit often come Christmas they had Christmas Cake, Puddings and minced Pies in different sizes [just don't look at the price]

[NormanW]

I'm popping in today.I'll let you know.

[KittenKong]

It is open. No fresh items. Mostly biscuits, sweets, chocolates, cereals, pasta, jams etc. Quite a good selection of teabags. Much more wine than I ever would have expected to see. Two types of Xmas pudding (one at 990B).

High prices. I will surely continue to buy Waitrose items at Tops down the hall, even though I am an M&S shareholder.

[petermik]

Pretty bland choice and all pre-packaged

[NormanW]

Agreed.Still,better choice for us though.

[NormanW]

Couldn't upload the photos . Will try again later .

[NormanW]

a few treats . Couldn't do your daily shop there.

[bartender100]

Nothing exciting down there, poor location for them as well there nobody looking around the clothes section when I went, upstairs to H&M and it was mobbed, very good clothes selection.

[champers]

Their Jaffa cakes are the bees knees; but if there's no fresh food I'd only be looking at the clothes, which I imagine are overpriced. M&S quality is not what it used to be. Ironically, when clothes production exited the UK and went to Asia instead, quality fell.

[Suradit69]

^ Thanks for that KK. It must be off to the left coming in as I wandered all the way right into menswear and didn't see anything edible.

I assume that you mean biscuits, cookies and the like and not their rather quite good Chicken Tikka Masala. Mrs NL will be very disappointed and will be stocking up when she hits Scotland for Christmas!

"I assume that you mean biscuits, cookies and the like and not their rather quite good Chicken Tikka Masala."

Probably things like tinned mushy peas or spotted dick. I'm sure even the worst Indian restaurant could do Chicken Tikka Masala better than some place that sells socks and bedroom slippers. In fact the socks would probably taste better.

Guaranteed taste-free and loaded with preservatives. Yum.

[i claudius]

For the life of me i cannot understand why anyone would buy imported frozen Chicken tikka masala at a vastly inflated price when you can buy better fresh here.

[canopus1969]

Simple, you cannot buy better here

[casualbiker]

For the Christmas stuff do what I do.. Christmas day is now on 26th.. afternoon of 25th they discount the Xmas products :-D

[NanLaew]

Arguments aside about how healthy pre-packaged food is ANYWHERE, both the fresh food and ready-made meals at M&S in the UK are really very good. There's a whole soi full of Indian 'restaurants' in Pattaya that don't even come close to what M&S can deliver.

Here's another bunch of European converts to M&S's deli-style food marketing. To quote another tabloid, "Mon dieu! French workers turning to Marks & Spencer ready meals instead of native cuisine - and chicken tikka masala is the biggest seller."

Here's a snapshot from my wife's last trip to Aberdeen.

[NormanW]

Champers was right .

The jaffa cakes were scoffed in 3 secs flat .

[RabC]

^ Thanks for that KK. It must be off to the left coming in as I wandered all the way right into menswear and didn't see anything edible.

I assume that you mean biscuits, cookies and the like and not their rather quite good Chicken Tikka Masala. Mrs NL will be very disappointed and will be stocking up when she hits Scotland for Christmas!

"I assume that you mean biscuits, cookies and the like and not their rather quite good Chicken Tikka Masala."

Probably things like tinned mushy peas or spotted dick. I'm sure even the worst Indian restaurant could do Chicken Tikka Masala better than some place that sells socks and bedroom slippers. In fact the socks would probably taste better.

Guaranteed taste-free and loaded with preservatives. Yum.

Nice to see you maintain your ignorance, if you haven't tried it don't comment.

[edd]

I'm still looking for Crunchie honey comb bars.

[champers]

Heinz treacle sponge is a thing of beauty; though I was somewhat disconcerted to see fish oil among the listed ingredients. M&S food stores in the UK now sell other well-known brands as well as their own St Michael stuff, so you never know. St Michael's the patron saint of mini pork pies, if you were wondering.

[Jingthing]

^ Thanks for that KK. It must be off to the left coming in as I wandered all the way right into menswear and didn't see anything edible.

I assume that you mean biscuits, cookies and the like and not their rather quite good Chicken Tikka Masala. Mrs NL will be very disappointed and will be stocking up when she hits Scotland for Christmas!

"I assume that you mean biscuits, cookies and the like and not their rather quite good Chicken Tikka Masala."

Probably things like tinned mushy peas or spotted dick. I'm sure even the worst Indian restaurant could do Chicken Tikka Masala better than some place that sells socks and bedroom slippers. In fact the socks would probably taste better.

Guaranteed taste-free and loaded with preservatives. Yum.

No, spots, please, we're not British.

[NanLaew]

Heinz treacle sponge is a thing of beauty; though I was somewhat disconcerted to see fish oil among the listed ingredients. M&S food stores in the UK now sell other well-known brands as well as their own St Michael stuff, so you never know. St Michael's the patron saint of mini pork pies, if you were wondering.

Don't get too worried. Fish oil is the primary ingredient of WD-40.

[sustento]

Heinz treacle sponge is a thing of beauty; though I was somewhat disconcerted to see fish oil among the listed ingredients. M&S food stores in the UK now sell other well-known brands as well as their own St Michael stuff, so you never know. St Michael's the patron saint of mini pork pies, if you were wondering.

Don't get too worried. Fish oil is the primary ingredient of WD-40.

And fish...

[champers]

Heinz treacle sponge is a thing of beauty; though I was somewhat disconcerted to see fish oil among the listed ingredients. M&S food stores in the UK now sell other well-known brands as well as their own St Michael stuff, so you never know. St Michael's the patron saint of mini pork pies, if you were wondering.

Don't get too worried. Fish oil is the primary ingredient of WD-40.

And fish...

I don't drink WD-40 and I don't want treacle on my fish & chips.

[KittenKong]

Anyone suffering withdrawal symptoms for sponge pudding (and the many variants thereof) might be interested to know that they are very quick and simple to do in the microwave. The result is excellent and all the ingredients are available here, usually cheaply.

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1974661/easy-microwave-sponge-pudding

[sustento]

I lust after Spotted Dick...

[gmac]

Finally made it into M & S and what a disappointment. Dreams of M & S sandwiches and ready meals crushed. The clothing area I can take or leave but the food hall has always been an attraction. A few overpriced packs of biscuits and grossly overpriced wines do not an M & S food hall make!

[NormanW]

Yer right but still better than nothing .

[KittenKong]

Finally made it into M & S and what a disappointment. Dreams of M & S sandwiches and ready meals crushed. The clothing area I can take or leave but the food hall has always been an attraction. A few overpriced packs of biscuits and grossly overpriced wines do not an M & S food hall make!

You were warned in post #6.